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Post by mountainpete on Sept 15, 2016 8:44:17 GMT -5
Hi folks, New owner here and few questions: I realize that the 196s is an ultralight and you shouldn't walk on the roof. However I would like to get a better understanding of the material used on the roof. Oddly, the roof of our trailer appears "wavy". It's like it's not laminated down properly. Is this normal?   When I touch the roof it feels like there is a gap between the roof top material and what is below it. Also, is it even possible to mount solar panels to this style of roof? Many thanks, Pete |
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Post by mdconvert on Sept 15, 2016 11:20:47 GMT -5
I have the same trailer, same roof material and had the same concerns. I showed the dealer and he said this is all normal. Keep an eye on the seams and joints. That beige colored caulk is self leveling, made by dicor; inspect that regularly, with all the flexing and movement I check it out when I am covering or uncovering the trailer. Speaking of covers, I cover mine with an adco cover when not using it.
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Post by mountainpete on Sept 15, 2016 13:59:41 GMT -5
I have the same trailer, same roof material and had the same concerns. I showed the dealer and he said this is all normal. Keep an eye on the seams and joints. That beige colored caulk is self leveling, made by dicor; inspect that regularly, with all the flexing and movement I check it out when I am covering or uncovering the trailer. Speaking of covers, I cover mine with an adco cover when not using it. Thanks - I appreciate the response. I am considering a cover too as do get the occasional hailstorm in this area and I am sure the material would be a mess afterwards. Any thoughts on solar installation? |
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Post by mdconvert on Sept 15, 2016 14:28:52 GMT -5
I'm not sure how I'd do the solar panels. The aluminum on the roof is very thin and I believe it would need to be able to flex due to temperature changes. If I were forced to come up with a plan, I may be more likely to make something that can attach via roof racks to the top of the van and take them off when at a destination to sit on the ground when the camper is parked. Just thinking out loud. I don't plan to do very much boondocking in the near future. I do have a generator that can run on propane or gasoline that I use in a pinch. It is large enough to run the a/c. Here's the cover I bought. It fits this model very well. Adco cover
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Post by vagov on Sept 19, 2016 3:59:27 GMT -5
Same roof , same waves, as far as a cover, I usually winter store mine in a underground mine. Will keep a eye on seals, hard force to climb up there thou
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Post by vagov on Sept 19, 2016 3:59:39 GMT -5
Same roof , same waves, as far as a cover, I usually winter store mine in a underground mine. Will keep a eye on seals, hard force to climb up there thou
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Post by cooperrobt on Sept 20, 2016 12:15:11 GMT -5
Same roof, same waves. Metal roofs have been around since forever.
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nancyanddan
Newbie RV’er
2007 Ford Explorer 4.0 V6; 2016 KZ Spree Escape E170S
Posts: 23 
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Post by nancyanddan on Sept 23, 2016 12:04:45 GMT -5
I have the same trailer, same roof material and had the same concerns. I showed the dealer and he said this is all normal. Keep an eye on the seams and joints. That beige colored caulk is self leveling, made by dicor; inspect that regularly, with all the flexing and movement I check it out when I am covering or uncovering the trailer. Speaking of covers, I cover mine with an adco cover when not using it. We have a new 2016 Spree Escape E170S purchased the end of June. Though I haven't personally looked at the top hubby Dan has. He said it looks similar to yours. Before we took delivery, the Dealer installed a 100W solar panel and all is well. This summer we took a long vacation up the West Coast from Southern California all the way into Canada and now we're in NW Washington State. The roof has remained solid and water tight and we have experienced a fair amount of rain. And the solar works beautifully! So far so good. We will keep an eye on the caulked areas. |
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